Doris Mable Cochran Papers, Circa 1891-1968
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Doris Mable Cochran Papers, circa 1891-1968 Finding aid prepared by Smithsonian Institution Archives Smithsonian Institution Archives Washington, D.C. Contact us at [email protected] Table of Contents Collection Overview ........................................................................................................ 1 Administrative Information .............................................................................................. 1 Historical Note.................................................................................................................. 1 Descriptive Entry.............................................................................................................. 2 Names and Subjects ...................................................................................................... 2 Container Listing ............................................................................................................. 3 Series 1: MANUSCRIPTS, NOTES, DATA, AND RELATED MATERIALS ON SCIENTIFIC WORK, c. 1921-1968.......................................................................... 3 Series 2: PERSONAL MATERIALS, CORRESPONDENCE, AND TRAVEL MATERIALS. c. 1891, 1900, 1907, 1919-1968...................................................... 10 Series 3: LARGE FORMAT MATERIAL................................................................. 15 Doris Mable Cochran Papers https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_217308 Collection Overview Repository: Smithsonian Institution Archives, Washington, D.C., [email protected] Title: Doris Mable Cochran Papers Identifier: Record Unit 7151 Date: circa 1891-1968 Extent: 6.94 cu. ft. (12 document boxes) (1 16x20 box) (1 half document box) Creator:: Cochran, Doris M., (Doris Mabel), 1898-1968 Language: Language of Materials: English Administrative Information Prefered Citation Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 7151, Doris Mable Cochran Papers Historical Note Doris Mable Cochran (1898-1968) was born in North Girard, Pennsylvania, and came to Washington, D.C., when her father received a government position. She attended Washington schools and following her graduation from high school, she took a position with the War Department. In November 1919 she was appointed an aide to Dr. Leonhard Stejneger in the Division of Reptiles and Amphibians where she worked until her retirement in April 1968. While at the War Department and later, while at the National Museum, she attended George Washington University nights, receiving her A.B. and M.S. degrees, both in zoology, in 1920 and 1921. At the same time, she attended classes at the Corcoran Art School and developed her artistic talents, becoming a scientific illustrator not only for her own works, but also for those of her colleagues. She continued her studies in zoology and in 1928 received her M.A. in the field from Johns Hopkins University and her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in 1933. Her dissertation dealt with the musculature of the blue crab. At the Smithsonian, she advanced through the Division of Reptiles and Amphibians, becoming assistant curator in 1927, an associate curator in 1942, and curator in 1956. As Stejneger grew older, more of the work of the Division fell to Cochran, and following Stejneger's death in 1943 she became acting head of the Division and supervised the Division alone until 1964 when James A. Peters was appointed associate curator. Her principal areas of interest were the reptiles and amphibians of Central and South America and of the West Indies, especially Haiti. She made two field trips to the region, in 1935 and 1962-63, where she worked with Adolpho Lutz and his daughter Bertha, noted Brazilian herpetologists. Her major works in this area include The Frogs of Southeastern Brazil (1955) and The Herpetology of Hispaniola (1941). Cochran also traveled to Europe twice, in 1938 and 1951, to study herpetological collections in museums there. In the course of her work, Cochran named nearly 100 new species and 6 new genera. Page 1 of 15 Doris Mable Cochran Papers https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_217308 In addition to her professional work, Cochran published many popular articles and books on herpetology, the most important being Living Amphibians of the World (1961), which has been translated into six languages. She also gave a number of radio talks and speeches on reptiles and amphibians to clubs. Descriptive Entry The papers of Doris Mable Cochran include manuscripts, notes and data on herpetology; material concerning specimens received by the Division of Reptiles and Amphibians; photographs of reptiles and amphibians; personal material including clippings, photographs and material related to her education and Smithsonian career; personal correspondence and correspondence concerning publications and material on her travels to Europe and South America. Correspondents include William Louis Abbott (ref.), Spencer F. Baird (ref.), Paul Bartsch (ref.), James E. Benedict (ref.), Marcus Benjamin (ref.), Doris Mable Cochran, Anthony Curtiss, Jackson Philip Darlington, Jr. (ref.), Walter J. Eyerdam (ref.), Charles A. Fraser (ref.), Marston Abbott Frazar (ref.), William More Gabb (ref.), Coleman Jett Goin, Oliver Perry Hay (ref.), William Perry Hay (ref.), John Brooks Henderson, Jr. (ref.), Samuel Frederick Hildebrand (ref.), Howard Atwood Kelly (ref.), Arthur Loveridge (ref.), Adolpho Lutz, Bertha Lutz, Corneles J. Marinkelle (ref.), Frederico Medem (ref.), Maynard Mayo Metcalf (ref.), Gerritt Smith Miller, Jr. (ref.), Hermano Niceforo-Maria (ref.), Lee H. Parish (ref.), Watson M. Perrygo (ref.), James A. Peters, Alexandre Ricord (ref.), Hermann Rolle (ref.), Newton P. Scudder (ref.), Antonio Zeno Shindler, Hugh McCormick Smith (ref.), Leonhard Stejneger, J. R. Tamsitt (ref.), P. E. Vanzolini (ref.), A. E. Vinson (ref.), D. F. Weinland (ref.), Alexander Wetmore, A. C. Younglove. Names and Subject Terms This collection is indexed in the online catalog of the Smithsonian Institution under the following terms: Subjects: Amphibians Herpetology Types of Materials: Black-and-white photographs Manuscripts Names: Cochran, Doris M. (Doris Mable), 1898-1968 Lutz, Adolpho, 1855-1940 Lutz, Bertha, 1894-1976 National Museum of Natural History (U.S.). Division of Reptiles and Amphibians Peters, James Arthur, 1922-1972 Stejneger, Leonhard, 1851-1943 Page 2 of 15 Series 1: MANUSCRIPTS, NOTES, DATA, AND RELATED Doris Mable Cochran Papers MATERIALS ON SCIENTIFIC WORK, c. 1921-1968. https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_217308 Container Listing Series 1: MANUSCRIPTS, NOTES, DATA, AND RELATED MATERIALS ON SCIENTIFIC WORK, c. 1921-1968. Includes a chronological file of manuscripts, notes, and related materials on herpetology, particularly of Haiti and South America (boxes 1-4) and on the blue crabs (boxes 2-3), an alphabetical file of undated manuscripts, notes and related material (boxes 4-5), material related to specimens received and exchanges with other museums (box 5), data on particular species (boxes 5-6), and photographs and negatives of amphibians and reptiles (box 6). Correspondence concerning the publication of a number of the manuscripts is in Series 2. Box 1 Box 1 of 14 Folder 1 Typescript of "Notes on the pelvis in Kinosternidae," M.S. Thesis, George Washington University, June 1921. Box 1 of 14 Folder 2 Typescript and material related to "Notes on herpetological collections from the island of Haiti received from Dr. W. L. Abbott," c. 1924. Box 1 of 14 Folder 3 Material on penguins, c. 1924. Box 1 of 14 Folder 4 Typescript of talk to Journal Club of Johns Hopkins University on the Smithsonian, September 5, 1925; notes on article on ciliary movement in mollusks. Box 1 of 14 Folder 5 Typescripts of "Lizards and their Kin," 1925; article on turtles; "The California Condor," 1927; "Do Not Kill Harmless Snakes," 1928; "The Striking of the Rattlesnake," 1929; and "Giant Turtles of the Galapogos Islands," n.d. Box 1 of 14 Folder 6 Photos and notes of the Leptodactylus from Lutz, either Adolpho or Bertha, of 1926 and 1930. Box 1 of 14 Folder 7 Typescripts of "The Glass Snake (Ophisaurus)," 1926; "Fire Toad," 1927; and "The Loveridge Soft-shelled Land Turtle," 1928. Box 1 of 14 Folder 8 Typescript of radio talk "Some African Reptiles," February 2, 1927. Image(s): Typescript of Doris M. Cochran's radio talk: "Some African Reptiles," on WRC-Radio Corporation of America, February 2, 1927. [Image nos. SIA2014-00028 to SIA2014-00033] Image(s): Announcement: Local Radio Entertainment - WRC - Radio Corporation of America - "7 pm - 'Some African Reptiles' - by Miss Doris M. Cochran of the National Museum." Wednesday, February 2, 1927. [Image no. SIA2014-00027] Box 1 of 14 Folder 9 Manuscript and notes related to "The Fire Toad," 1927. Box 1 of 14 Folder 10 Notes on W. J. Eyerdam collection from Haiti and his field notes, 1927. Page 3 of 15 Series 1: MANUSCRIPTS, NOTES, DATA, AND RELATED Doris Mable Cochran Papers MATERIALS ON SCIENTIFIC WORK, c. 1921-1968. https://siarchives.si.edu/collections/siris_arc_217308 Box 1 of 14 Folder 11 Data on Pseudemys palustris, 1927-1928. Box 1 of 14 Folder 12 Data on Ialtris dorsalis, 1928, including copy of "The Identity of Werner's Dromicus W-Nigrum." Box 1 of 14 Folder 13 Typescript and related material on "Peranema Trichophorum," M.A. Thesis for Johns Hopkins University, 1928. Box 1 of 14 Folder 14 Data sheets from turtle experiments, 1929-1931. Box 1 of 14 Folder 15 Material concerning "The Herpetological Collections made by Dr. Hugh M.